by Peter Löcke //
The Bundestag Presidium consists of Julia Klöckner, Andrea Lindholz, Josephine Ortleb, Omid Nouripour and Bodo Ramelow. These five politicians take it in turns to ensure that parliamentary debates do not get out of hand. President Klöckner from the CDU is considered controversial due to her criticism of the rainbow and other zeitgeist issues. The four vice presidents and the fact that the AfD has traditionally been denied a seat on the presidium are considered uncontroversial. However, there is agreement on one thing across party lines. Etiquette, rules of etiquette or even the good old word etiquette - whatever you want to call the code of conduct - the way people treat each other must improve. This is a matter close to Julia Klöckner's heart. Will the plan work in practice? Of course not, if you compare aspiration and reality. So I thought about the true etiquette of the Bundestag. The result is this 5-point paper. The paper is still classified. For official use only.
1) Making history at the lectern
In addition to your own baby, your own pet can also accompany the speaker to the podium in future. That is inclusive. This sets an example. You are making history. There are only restrictions in terms of speaking time. If the baby has to be breastfed during the speech, or if the four-legged friend poops during the speech, the lost speaking time will not be counted because it is self-inflicted. I can reassure Members of Parliament who are reading along. Experience has shown that in such cases, nobody is interested in the content of the speech anyway.
2.) His is legal, saying is illegal
Demonstrable lies, extremist and unconstitutional demands and even illegal laws remain legal. It is no longer permitted to name these lies or to expose extremist and unconstitutional demands as such. In the Bundestag's unpublished new code of etiquette, this rule of conduct is also referred to as Lex Lauterbach or the Merkel Memorandum.
3) Sustainable media partnership with ÖRR
Like any professional company, the Bundestag is also intensifying its media partnership with the public broadcaster ÖRR, in this case with the Phoenix channel, which regularly shows the debates live on TV and on its social platforms. There, people interested in politics can watch individual speeches. During the last general debate, an incredible 500 ÖRR customers clicked on the speech by SPD politician Matthias Miersch. The speech by AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel, which received well over a hundred thousand clicks during previous general debates, can no longer be found there straight away.
4) Smartphone etiquette
The use of cell phones and other digital devices is still prohibited in parliament. It is also important that people listen to speeches in the Bundestag attentively, facing each other, sitting up straight and wearing neat clothing. This code of conduct continues to apply to the visitors' gallery, where school classes in particular are seated. To illustrate what happens when people no longer adhere to such customs, the MPs in the plenary behave diametrically opposed to the public gallery. The educational aim is to achieve the desired shock effect. "Look, dear students, here you can experience late Roman decadence in real time. Just don't become like us!"
5) This & That
What is allowed and what is not allowed? Flying flags with a political message is still allowed. You just must not get caught or should do so with a vice president who is sympathetic to the message being displayed. Infantile back-turning and diva-like exits at the beginning of a speech by a hated rival are also still part of good manners. This provides content for your own social media channels. Otherwise, the rule is: "Ruffle yes, shake your head no". The latter has already been reprimanded by an undisputed vice president of the Bundestag.
Conclusion? You can forget about the new etiquette.
Articles identified by name do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
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3 Responses
Since we live in a representative democracy, we shouldn't be surprised. Overall, we are not on the upswing at the moment. Many people no longer take the work in Berlin seriously, but are not prepared to make a positive contribution. In my view, this is difficult or even impossible within the parties, but there are certainly other opportunities to regain a sense of community and cohesion among those living in Germany. This will also reveal who wants to be part of it in the future, I suspect.
When you listen to debates in the Bundestag, the first thing you see is a plenary chamber that is only a quarter full. Then you see MPs picking their noses, playing on their cell phones or talking and laughing with their neighbors. This also applies to the government bench. This is where Ms. Glöckner should start swinging her sceptre. It is ABSOLUTELY outrageous to behave like this in a parliament and thus show ZERO respect for the speeches of her colleagues! The sharp speeches by Wehner and Strauss, on the other hand, were balm for the soul of the citizens, entertainment and political agitation at its best in a packed plenary. Remember: those who are politically out of their depth work on ties instead of promoting everything that benefits free and sharp speech. It looks as if formalities are being used to prevent the latter.
Are you probably referring to Adolph Franz Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr Knigge? But he has as little to do with rules of etiquette as most of our politicians (asterisks inside) have to do with representing the interests of the German people.